Stay

Alexi poked at the chicken enchiladas with his fork and narrowed his eyes. He took a bite, and his eyes lit up.

She knew he’d like it. Lifting a fork, he held it out for her. Growing up in Texas, she’d eaten enchiladas a ton of times, but couldn’t refuse him. She opened her mouth and let him feed her. Yum. Cheesy.

“Good job, boys. You earned your feed tonight,” Coach Ameen said.

The boys did a combination of cheers, grunting, and food shoveling that made her want to move. Coach just nodded in approval. He made the rounds with the parents and stopped by Niko and Hope’s table behind them. Mia listened with half an ear as she bit into a salty tortilla chip. “Are you A’s family?”

“Mia and Alexi’s,” Niko said.

“Yeah. Well, I don’t know A’s plans, but he has a future in this if he wants one. He’s the right size and has speed. If it were last year, or last summer, I’d be putting him into other positions. But if he wants, we can look into spring training camps to have him considered for college ball.”

Mia could tell from Alexi’s stillness that he was listening, too.

“Thanks,” Niko said. “We’ll discuss it with him.”

Coach rocked to the toe of his thick-soled sneakers and then back down. “So, they’re stepbrother and sister, not blood, right?” Coach had doubt in his voice.

Hope gasped. “They are not related at all, step or otherwise.”

“Good, good.” Coach Ameen sounded relieved as he walked to the next table to greet the family sitting there.

Hope crumpled a tortilla chip in her hand. “Do you want him to play football?”

“Whatever he wants,” Niko said. “I want him here with us.”

Mia looked sideways at Alexi, but couldn’t discern how he leaned on either topic. Say something, Alexi, tell us you want to stay. He said nothing, just carved into his food using his knife and fork, European-style, like Niko.

Willow and Maddie waved, indicating they were headed to the ladies’ room. Mia went with them. She washed her hands under the dimpled brass faucet, and then re-did her plum lipstick.

Willow was at the sink beside her. She pumped out a double dollop of pink soap. The kind that all public restrooms had. Was the soap in mens rooms blue or was pink universal? “Your ‘brother’ did great tonight.” Willow made the compliment a dig.

“He’s not my brother.” Mia kept her tones measured so she wouldn’t sound defensive.

“I know.” Willow snickered, and the plum lipstick, which was as close to the school color as they were using on their lips, twisted. “You just live together.”

Whatever. Mia zipped her purse and headed out.

“Does he even want to play or did you push him into it? The way you pushed Lauren to switch to Honors Chem with you?”

Lauren was handling Honors Chem with very little complaining. So what if Mia had pushed her into it? She looked out for her friends. Why was this Willow’s business? “Don’t worry about it.” Mia leaned into the dark wooden door and the square-molded panels dug into her back.

“All the cheerleaders are expected to sit together, Mia. I don’t want to see this again.”

Captain Willow was out in full force tonight. Mia left without responding. That was the best way to deal with Willow’s moods.

***

Mia wore a cami top with PJ shorts. It was more covering than her swimsuit, so she figured why change? She knocked on Alexi’s door.

“Come in.” Alexi was on his bed with his TV on. He clicked it off when he saw it was her. He shifted over, making room for her, and patted the mattress.

She climbed up and sat cross-legged in front of him. “I feel bad.” Her hair swung forward, and she swung it over one shoulder. She couldn’t make her mouth curl up for anything. Guilt was one of the suckiest emotions out there.

Alexi frowned. “What kind of bad?”

The kind that was more guilt and confession than anything else. Mia touched the tip of her finger to his hand. “You were amazing at the game. I had so much fun watching you, but I didn’t mean to push you into it. Willow said something about me making you play, like a pushy parent. You give up so much to make other people happy. I should have remembered that and not pushed you.” Mia raised her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs.

“How do you mean?”